The present disclosure relates to baffles and methods of making them. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a baffle, such as a radiator baffle, which is made by a single-shot injection molding process, and which has increased flexibility at its sealing edge and thereby avoids a crash condition when in use.
In many mechanical contexts, including the radiator of a vehicle, control of air circulation assists in proper operation of a component. Baffles can function to divert air flow such that it either is guided into, or is kept out of, a particular area. Additionally, in mechanical architectures where parts are spaced to fit together without colliding, but air flow management and gap filling are still required, baffles can be used to fill spaces and meet manufacturing tolerances.
Typically, baffles having flexible edges are produced by joining separate materials having different flexibilities. The two components are attached together in a two-shot process to form the baffle, in some instances by an attachment process such as sonic welding, attaching a relatively flexible material to one which is relatively stiffer. Such baffles, however, may not provide a good seal owing to their lower flexibility. Further, the process is labor-intensive owing to multiple steps, and has a relatively high cost due to the additional labor and expensive tooling.
It has been a challenge to develop an economical method of producing baffles that provide good sealing and flexibility.